In Search of the Perfect Bagel

In Search of the Perfect Bagel traces the bagel’s 400-year journey from 1610 Poland to modern California, where one baker’s celebrated success mirrors a broader craft renaissance. The bagel serves as a lens into the Jewish Diaspora experience, revealing centuries of struggle and resilience amid Antisemitism, resonant in today’s world.

In Search of the Perfect Bagel weaves together four compelling narrative threads: the historical journey of the bagel as a symbol of Jewish perseverance, the global craft bagel renaissance, one woman’s passionate quest to recreate authentic New York bagels in California, and the delightfully contentious debate over what makes a bagel “perfect.”

These four narrative threads interact through thematic connections of tradition, innovation, and cultural preservation. Dynamic editing and beautifully rendered cinematography interweave them, creating visual poetry from bagel making methods and community gatherings. The film’s structure braids these threads together, building emotional and intellectual momentum toward a meditation on cultural survival and the enduring power of food as identity.

Instagram: @bageldocumentary

Director/Producer: Marty Jackson

Marty Jackson is a veteran video Director/Producer and founder of Indigo Video Productions, a Bay Area production company he has operated for over 30 years. Born in New York and based in Berkeley for more than four decades, Jackson brings technical expertise and a professional network to his documentary work. Throughout his career, Jackson has collaborated with San Francisco Bay Area technology companies, providing production and post-production services for corporate films. His mastery of cinematography, editing, sound design, and postproduction workflow has made him a trusted partner for clients requiring the highest production values. Jackson has produced numerous short food videos, developing a keen eye for capturing the artistry and cultural significance of culinary traditions. This expertise in food storytelling, combined with his personal connection to bagel culture as a Jewish New Yorker who regularly transported authentic New York bagels to California, uniquely positions him to tell this story. As a Jewish filmmaker, Jackson brings cultural sensitivity to exploring Jewish history, identity, and resilience. His 2018 encounter with Emily Winston sparked a multiyear journey documenting the craft bagel movement, culminating in “In Search of the Perfect Bagel.”

Executive Producer: Janis Plotkin

Janis Plotkin is an award-winning documentary producer and pioneering figure in independent cinema. In 2015, she produced “Plastic Man: The Artful Life of Jerry Ross Barrish,” a 74-minute documentary that screened at film festivals across the US and Germany, winning an Audience Award and broadcasting in San Francisco and Israel. Plotkin was part of the founding team of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival in 1982, the first and largest festival of its kind. Joining Founding Director Deborah Kaufman, she eventually served as Festival Director for nine years. During her 21-year tenure, she programmed high-quality cinema and sparked vital conversations about politics and culture within the Jewish community. From 2004 to 2019, Plotkin served as Senior Film Programmer at the Mill Valley Film Festival, where she launched the award-winning Spanish language initiative “Vive el Cine!” curating films from Latin America. She currently serves on funding panels, advisory committees, hosts post-film conversations, and teaches college-level film classes at Stanford, SF State, UC Davis, and adult learning platforms. Plotkin holds a double Master’s degree in Social Work and Jewish Community Studies from USC and Hebrew Union College and received an Honorary Doctorate in 2001.

Editor: Ken Schneider, ACE

Ken Schneider, ACE is a Peabody award winner who believes in the power of film to affect hearts and minds. Ken has produced and directed documentaries in English and Spanish, and has edited 45 feature-length documentaries, focusing on war and peace, human rights, artists’ lives, untold American histories, and contemporary social issues. Ken co-edited the Oscar-nominated “Regret To Inform,” cited by the NY Times as “unforgettable, exquisitely filmed, edited and scored.” His work has appeared on PBS’ American Masters, POV, Independent Lens, Frontline, Voces, HBO, Al-Jazeera, The Showtime Network, and in television and film festivals worldwide. Films Ken has edited have earned Peabodys, Emmys, numerous festival awards, and an Oscar nomination. His projects include “Regret To Inform,” “Have You Heard From Johannesburg” (Emmy-winning series), “The Good War and Those Who Refused To Fight It,” “El Poeta,” “Orozco: Man of Fire,” “Ralph Ellison: An American Journey,” “Store Wars,” “School Colors,” “Bolinao 52,” “Ancestors in the Americas,” and “Speaking in Tongues.” Ken lectures at NYU, Harvard, San Francisco City College, the SF Art Institute, and Chapman University. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, filmmaker Marcia Jarmel.

Director of Photography: Ashley James

Ashley James is an award-winning cinematographer and co-founder of Searchlight Films, specializing in documentary films for television. With BFA and MFA degrees in Filmmaking, James brings extensive expertise to documentary cinematography, having shot for PBS, BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and international broadcast. His filmography includes cinematography on Terry Zwigoff’s acclaimed “Crumb,” and PBS documentaries including “Blacks and Jews,” “Street Soldiers,” “Isadora Duncan: Movement From The Soul,” “The Color Of Honor,” “Ethnic Notions,” and “Ancestors In America.” As producer and director, his credits include “Kitka and Davka in Concert: Old and New World Jewish Music” (PBS), “Gordon Parks: The Man and His Music,” “Bomba: Dancing the Drum” (PBS), and “We Love You Like A Rock: The Dixie Hummingbirds.” James’s awards include the Prix Bartok Award at the Bilan du Film Ethnographique (France), American Film Institute Independent Filmmaker award, Isadora Duncan “Izzy” Dance Award, five CINE Golden Eagles, two Telly awards, and three Pegasus awards. A former cinematography instructor at San Francisco State University, James served as three-term president of Film Arts Foundation and past governor of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Northern California chapter.

Adviser: Noah Alper

Noah Alper is the founder of Noah’s Bagels, which he built from a single Berkeley storefront in 1989 into a beloved Bay Area institution before selling the chain in 1996. His entrepreneurial journey and deep understanding of authentic bagel making make him an invaluable adviser to this project. Alper is the author of “Business Mensch: Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Entrepreneur,” which explores how traditional Jewish values can guide modern business practices. His philosophy of combining profitability with community responsibility and ethical leadership has influenced a generation of entrepreneurs, including Emily Winston of Boichik Bagels, whom he mentored during the early stages of her business. Beyond his bagel expertise, Alper co-founded Makom Community, a Jewish Day School in San Francisco, demonstrating his commitment to Jewish education and cultural preservation. As both a successful bagel entrepreneur and mentor to the next generation of craft bagel makers, Alper brings essential insights into the evolution of bagel culture from traditional roots to contemporary renaissance.

How to Donate:

Donate by credit card at the Donate button on the top of this page. To donate by check or direct deposit, visit this page.